Brush.



PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

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wjlrbesses "n1: humus nnzns co PH UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. I

BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,998, dated April 12, 1904.

Application filed Nove b 9, 1903. Serial No. 180,347. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. VIoKERY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Brushes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompany ing drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention consists in improvements in brushes, being particularly concerned with improvements in the construction of brushes with a view to greater simplicity, cheapness of manufacture, durability, and effectiveness.

My invention will be best understood by.

reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing as an illustrative embodiment the application of my invention to a Water-supplied window-cleaning brush, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in'the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central sectional view of the complete brush, showing a short piece of the handle. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, showing portions of the head, reinforcing fabric, and cap-plate broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, in section, showing more particularly the relation of the bristles to the head and the construction of the cushioning member. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, in section, of the coupling-screw. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4:.

- Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the bristles-holding member of the brush comprises, primarily, a comparatively thin bristles-holding perforated plate a, having a dished or concave shape,

as is usual with brushes of this particular type.

Adjacent to the bristles-holding plate is a layer of filling material 6, which may be of any desired substance, but for which I preferably employ some cheap, sheet, fibrous, yielding material, which may be cheap scrap-sheeting, such as roofing-paper or the like, the same being also preferably waterproof or water-resisting. The filling material is provided also with perforations which register with those of the bristles-holding plate. The filling material maybe of any desired thickness; but I preferably employ material of a thickness suited to provide supporting walls, which, taken together with those of the plate, are of a length sufiicient to give the necessary stiffness and stability to the tufts of bristles. My preferred method of securing the bristles in position is to take the bristle-tufts c and coat thebutt-ends of the same with some cementitious binder, as by dipping the same into a solution thereof, thus forming a head cl, of cementitious material, at the butt-end of each tuft. The individual tufts are then drawn by their opposite ends through the perforations of the bristles-holding member until they assume generally the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3, when the butt-ends are drawn within and substantially flush with the surface of the sheet-filling, although my invention is not limited to this specific arrangement. After the bristles have been placed as described I preferably secure them in position by applying a heated iron to the back surface of the sheet-filling, causing the cementitious binder to spread into the interstices between the bristles and the perforations of the sheet-filling as well as over the back of the filling itself. This ordinarily provides firm holding and protecting means for the bristles, although additional cementitious material may be applied to the back of the filling, if desired. After the formation of the bristles-holding member as described 1 preferably cover the back of the same with a cap-plate f, formed of thin sheet material and secured in position against the surface of the cementitious coating by overturning the sides of the bristles-holding plate to form a retaining-flange 9. By the use of the filling material 6 I may make the supporting-walls for the bristle-tufts of any length desired,while employing a relatively thin bristles-holding plate a, thus both decreasing the weight and the cost of the bristles-holding member, for the filling material may consist of substances adapted to give all necessary support to the tufts, yet being of relatively light weight and relatively inexpensive,since the cheapest scrap-sheeting may be used for this purpose. WVhere fibrous yielding material is employed, the walls of the perforations for the bristles tend to close in upon the latter to retain the same in position, yet yielding readily to adapt themselves to irregularities in the size of the tufts, it being immaterial,

therefore, if the tufts are not graded to exactly the same size. The use of filling material like that described is preferable to a cementitious filler, since it is free from liability to crack when subjected to blows or jars, and thus better protects the bristles. The bristles-holding member is secured herein to a suitable head it in any desired manner, herein by means of a centrally-located coupling-screw i, which passes through from the bristle side of the holding member into a suitably-tapped portion of the head it to secure and clamp the latter to the former. The head it is provided with a socket j, adapted to receive the end of a handle is, which may be of any desired length and through which, as is usual with this type of brush, water may be conveyed to suitable water-supply means in the brush-head. To supply the water conveyed through the handle to thebristles and to distribute the same therein, a suitable water-conduit Z is provided within-a socket j, leading through the head it to the tip of the coupling-screw 2', through which it is continued by means of the passage bored therethrough, the latter having an outlet at the head of such screw in and among the bristles.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the passage through the screw is counterbored to provide ashoulder m, against which is forced a spreading-plug 72/, provided with laterally-grooved passages along which the water may pass, but by which it is forced against the ledge formed by the shoulder m and caused to issue from the mouth of the conduit at the head of the screw in a widely-distributed spray. The construction of the screw 2' therefore provides a spraying-nozzle at the outlet of the waterconduit for spraying and distributing the Wateras it issues therefrom laterally in and among the bristles.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I employ a cushioning rim or bufler 0, of any suitable material, but preferably rubber, for protecting objects with which the brush may come in contactfrom injury. To provide a secure and lasting attachment for the buffer to the brush, I preferably employ a sheet 10, of reinforcing fabric, to which the buffer-rim is secured, as by vulcanizing the same thereto when rubber is employed, such reinforcingsheet uniting the inner walls of the buffer member and lying between two cooperating brush members, as between the head it and the bristles-holding member a. For the fabric I preferably employ a cloth, such as canvas or the like. In the drawings I have shown a rubber cushioning member to which the reinforcing fabric is vulcanized to form a substantially integral structure, the same having any suitable shape, which may be imparted by the vulcanizing-molds. I preferably provide the cushioning member with an upper rim 0 and a lower rim 0, the latter also having an inwardly-extending lip g, the lower rim projecting far enough to protect from contact with the bristles-holding member and the cushioning-rim therefor having as a whole a width sufficient to protect from contact with any of the projecting parts of the brush-head. The cushioning-rim is preferably of such size and shape that it may be sprung into position about'the edge of the head h, and thus be retained thereon. When the bristles-holding member is clamped to the head h, the cushioning member is also secured therebetween, and since the inner walls of the cushioningrim are united by the reinforcing-sheet p the rim cannot then be detached unless the rein forcing-sheet gives way. It is to be observed that the efficiency of this holding device does not necessarily depend upon the clamping effect exercised by the bristles-holding member and the brush-head, but is chiefly due to the retaining effect of the sheet 0, which for the purpose. of the best result should consist of a continuous sheet perforated only for the passage of the clamping-screw.

It will be observed that the bristles-holding member is constructed with the greatest simplicity and may be renewed ata minimum cost. Being also separate from the head, a user of this brush may frequently renew the bristlesholding member without necessary change or renewal of the remaining brush parts, the construction of the latter being such as to afford the greatest durability.

It will be evident that my invention is not restricted to the specific embodiment herein shown, which it will be plain I have submitted for illustrative purposes only, but that thesame is capable of wide modification without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim.

1. A brush having a bristles-holding member, comprising a perforated plate backed by a filling of sheet material, said bristles passing through said plate and into sheet-filling and having their ends united by, and embedded in a cementitious binder, a cap-plate covering said bristles-holding member; a brushhead; a centrally-located coupling-screw for clamping said bristles-holding member to said head; a cushioning-rim provided with a reinforcing fabric sheet secured between said head and bristles-holding member, and water-supply means providing a supply-conduit through said head and said coupling-screw.

2. In a brush a perforated bristles-holding member comprising a thin plate backed by a filling of sheet material, said bristles passing through said plate and into said sheet-filling and having their butt-ends united by a cementitious binder.

3. A brush-head adapted for connection to a bristles-holding member, a handle connection secured thereto, a rubber cushioning-rim for said head and engaging the edges thereof,

a sheet fabric underlying the said head and joining the inner edges of said rim, to which said sheet is vulcanized, and a water-conduit passing from said handle connection through said head.

4. A brush provided with a cushioning-rim having its inner edges connected by a sheet of cloth fabric.

5. A brush having a brush-holding member, a head provided with a water-supply conduit, and a screw for securing said bristles-holding member to said head adapted to pass through the former into the latter and provided with a passage extending the length thereof to form an extension of said water-supply conduit into and among the bristles of said bristles-holding member.

6. A brush having a bristles-holding memher, a Water-supply member, and provided with a water-supply conduit leading from the supply member through the bristles-holding member to discharge into and among the bristles, and a spraying-nozzle at the outlet of said conduit to spread and distribute the water laterally among the bristles.

7 A cushioning member for brushes, the same comprising a cushioning-body secured to a fabric attaching member, the latter adapted to be attached to said brush, and to thereby afford a means for holding said body in position upon said brush.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. VICKERY.

Witnesses:

RALPH C. POWELL, THoMAs B. BOOTH. 

